After a century of being sidelined, the long-awaited stunt design category is finally being added to the Oscars. The Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has officially confirmed that an Academy Award for achievement in stunt design will be awarded starting from the 2028 Oscars. This exciting news was shared via The Academy's social media, highlighted by images from 2022's "Everything Everywhere All at Once" and "RRR," as well as 2011's "Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol." Unfortunately, these films won't be eligible for the new award, as only movies released in 2027 and beyond will qualify.
The 2028 Oscars will mark a historic moment as the 100th Academy Awards. In a joint statement, Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang expressed their pride in honoring the innovative work of stunt designers, stating, "Since the early days of cinema, stunt design has been an integral part of filmmaking. We are proud to honor the innovative work of these technical and creative artists, and we congratulate them for their commitment and dedication in reaching this momentous occasion."
Further details and the rules for the new category will be communicated in 2027.
The introduction of an Oscar for stunt design represents a significant victory in the long and hard-fought battle for recognition of stunt work in film. New categories for the Oscars are voted on annually, and a category for stunt coordination was proposed every year from 1991 to 2012 but never succeeded. The last new award category created was Achievement in Casting, approved last year and set to commence with the 98th Academy Awards for films released in 2025.
